Pinless clothesline



June 19, 1951 M. L. OLLMAN 2,557,756

PINLESS CLOTHESLINE Filed July 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN v- TOR, MELVIN L. OLLMAN,

EYWQWI TTORNE).

Filed July 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1m 19, 1951 M OLLMAN 2,557,756

PINLESS CLOTHESLINE l uvsrv-ron, MELVIN L. OLLMAN) .3) Wm M fl TTORNY. I

Patented June 19, 1951 PINLESS CLOTHESLINE Melvin L. Ollman, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application July 8, 1950, Serial No. 172,718

8 Claims.

This invention relates to pinless clothesline and a container for retaining the line both when it is fully extended, and also when it is partially extended, the container being suspended by the end portions of the line when the line is carried from the container so that the container is always available and connected with the line at all times.

The invention involves a series of twisted wires, one twisted wire portion being hinged to another portion throughout the entire length of the line, and further involves the use of supporting or attaching eyes or hooks in the line end portions which are projected from the container.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple structure wherein clothes may be suspended from the line without the use of the usual and well known clothes pins, and at the same time to provide a line which may be collapsed, in effect, into a relatively small space to be stored within a container which is always supported by the line when in use, and available when the line is to be collapsed and inserted therein.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide a structure which may be collapsed in a very easy and simple manner without binding at the hinge joints, such that the unit line may be collapsed into a very small space.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partial section of the line substantially completely collapsed in a container shown in a separated condition;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation with the line completely extended and ready for use;

Fig. 3 is a view in top plan of the extended line;

Fig. 4 is a detail on an enlarged scale in top plan and in horizontal section through a relatively left-hand portion of the container;

Fig. 5 is a similar View on a still further enlarged scale of the line attaching element extending from a portion of the relatively righthand container portion appearing in horizontal section;

Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged scale view in detail in side elevation of the inter-hinging connection between separate clothesline links;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the container in the enclosed line condition; and

Fig. 8 is a detail in fragmentary upper end elevation of a container portion.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the clothesline is made up out of a multiple number of individual links It which consist of a looped wire twisted several times at its central zone II, to have the wire spread apart at its ends to form at one end a cross bar l2, and at the other end an overturned engaging hook l3 having the interconnecting cross bar it. The link H] is in effect an endless piece of wire. A hinge connection is formed between adjacent links It by engaging the cross bar l2 under the cross bar l4, and pulling it back under the overturned wireporions i5 and H; which engage around the bar. I! near its outer ends to position the cross bar It down across and under the wire to on each side thereof.

As noted particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, these portions l5 and it 'bend inwardly one toward the other by the bent portions ii and 8 to facilitate the hinging of two adjacent links It one in substantial parallelism with the other without tending to lift the cross bar It from its normal contact position with the wire it.

Secured to the outer ends of the extreme links It at each end of the line respectively, is a loop wire l9, Fig. 4, having a similar hinge connection with the end cross bar l2 of the link it. The loop I9 at the left-hand of the line carries a hook member generally designated by the numeral 20 to engage around the cross bar l2 at each end thereof and have a spacing bar 2! to retain the surrounding portions of the loop E9 in outermost position along the bar 52. The loop I9 on the right-hand end of the line is provided with a simple straight cross bar connection 22 which will engage under the members l5 and i6, Fig. 5, for its hinged connection with the link It.

A two-part container is provided to comprise an outer shell 23 generally rectangular in shape and having a sumcient space therein to receive fairly closely the other portion 212 of the container in a telescoping manner. That is, the portion 26 telescopes within the portion '23. The clothesline consisting of the various links I0 is normally folded one link it against the other into the container portion 2 2 with the loop iii extending through a slit 25 in the upper end portion of that container portion 2%, Fig. 1.

The other end of the line is carried by one link Ill at least into the container portion 23 to have the loop is at that end extend through a slit 26 in the upper outer end of the container portion 23. Then the container .portion 23 is 3 moved toward the portion 24 to telescope thereover to assume the condition as illustrated in Fig. '7 wherein both loops !9 are extending therefrom.

In using the structure, the loop I9 at one end, Fig. 2, is engaged over a suitable hook 2?, and then the line pulled from the container by pulling on the other loop It to carry the container portion 24 outwardly from the portion 23, to permit the line to be stretched out and that loop l9 engaged over its respective hook 28. The container portion 24 travels with the righthand end portion of the line while the container portion 23 remains with its left-hand portion of the line.

It is to be particularly noted that the contamer portion 24 has its open side edges 36 and 3! sloping inwardly respectively from the upper and lower ends of the portion to the central points 29 and 32, Fig. l, to define by those sloping edges a V opening from each side. This peculiar formation is provided to permit the easy insertion of the various links one against the other within the container portion 25, and also the easy withdrawal therefrom.

Also, it is to be noted that the V edge 39 is staggered back of the V edge 3| by sloping the top and bottom side edges 33 and 34 from one side to the other to give the offset relation of these edges and 3!, whereby the corners 35 and 25 first enter the portion 23 in a sort of cam action to facilitate entry of the filled portion 24 within the portion 23.

When the line is in the extended condition, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, clothes may be attached to the line by inserting portions of the clothes within the open portions of the links iii and pulling the clothes into the twisted zones l l to cause the twisted parts of the wire to pinch one toward the other to engage the clothes therebetween.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clothesline unit comprising a pair of telescoping housing members; a plurality of individual wire links, each comprising a looped Wire with two longitudinal portions thereof wrapped one around the other in twists suiiiciently loose to permit pulling of clothes portions into a gripping holding action between the twisted portions; a hinged connection interengaging the ends of said links; and a hanger loop in the respective ends of the outermost of said links; each of said housing members having heights exceeding the lengths of said links, and further having a slit in its upper outer end wall, through which slit one of said loops extends for external engagement. I

2. A clothesline unit comprising a pair of telescoping housing members; a plurality of individual wire links, each comprising a looped wire with two longitudinal portions thereof wrapped one around the other in twists suificiently loose to permit pulling of clothes portions into a gripping holding action between the twisted portions; a hinged connection interengaging the ends of said links; and a hanger loop in the respective ends of the outermost of said links; each of said housing members having heights exceeding the lengths of said links, and further having a slit in its upper outer end wall, through which slit one of said loops extends for external engagement; one of said housing members having side walls rectilinear in shape; the other of said housing members having a reentering marginal edge portion on each of its side walls insertable within the side walls of said one member; whereby, said links within said other member may be engaged while their upper and lower ends are in the member.

3. A clothesline unit comprising a pair of telescoping housing members; a plurality of individual wire links, each comprising a looped wire with two longitudinal portions thereof wrapped one around the other in twists sufficiently loose to permit pulling of clothes portions into a gripping holding action between the twisted portions; a hinged connection interengaging the ends of said links; and a hanger loop in the respective ends of the outermost of said links; each of said housing members having heights exceeding the lengths of said links, and further having a slit in its upper outer end wall, through which slit one of said loops extends for external engagement; each of said hinged connections comprising an end cross bar extending integrally by bends from said wire portion to space their ends apart; and a hooked portion on the end of the adjacent link comprising bends in the hooked portion passing around said cross bar; and said hooked portion terminating in a cross bar integrally interconnecting said hooked portion bends, the said last bar being spaced from the first cross bar and lying across and relatively under the said wire portions of the hooked portion.

i. A clothesline comprising a plurality of individual links hingedly connected one to the other; each of said links comprising a pair of wires twisted one around the other through a zone intermediate their ends; the two wires being spread apart at each end of the Z0113 in a diverging manner; the diverging wires at one end terminating in a cross bar interconnecting those ends to maintain them in their spread apart relation; the diverging wires at said other end being in a form each curving around toward said zone and also inclining one toward the other, and thence continuing in a diverging manner outwardly to merge into the outer ends of a cross bar which maintains the thus formed wire ends in fixed positions; the hinge connection between the links being set up by said inclining Wire end portions being hooked around said first cross bar to have said second cross bar rest adjacent said first cross bar, substantially on said wire end portions on opposite sides thereof from which said wires curve.

5. A pinless clothesline and self-carried container structure comprising a plurality of hinged, elongated wire loops, each of which has a central overlapping twisted zone and spread apart ends; hinge means interengaging said loops whereby the line may be folded to have one loop adjacent the other in substantial parallelism; a hanger wire p engaging respectively the ends of the end most loops; a rectilinear casing open along one end, and closed across the other end, and having a height and width to receive said folded loops therein, said casing other end having a slit therethrough adjacent a relatively top side; one of said loops being inserted from the inside of the casing through said slit to extend therefrom by a portion externally of the casing, the edges of said slit pressing against the wire of the loop to retain the loop in said extended condition; and a rectilinear casing housing shaped to telescope with a sliding fit over said casing; said housing having an outer closed end and an open end directed toward said casing, and having a slit through an upper portion of its closed end; the hanger loop on the other end of said line passing through the slit of the housing and to extend externally in part therefrom and to be retained by the edges of the slit.

6. A pinless clothesline and self-carried container structure comprising a plurality of hinged, elongated wire loops, each of which has a central overlapping twisted zone and spread apart ends; hinge means whereby the line may be folded to have one loop adjacent the other in substantial parallelism; a hanger wire loop engaging respectively the ends of the end most loops; a rectilinear casing open along one end, and closed across the other end, and having a height and width to receive said folded loops therein, said casing other end having a slit therethrough adjacent a relatively top side; one of said loops being inserted from the inside of the casing through said slit to extend therefrom by a portion externally of the casing, the edges of said slit pressing against the wire of the loop to retain the loop in said extended condition; and a rectilinear casing housing shaped to telescope with a sliding fit over said casing; said housing having an outer closed end and an open end directed toward said casing, and having a slit through an upper portion of its closed end; the hanger loop on the other end of said line passing through the slit of the housing and to extend externally in part therefrom and to be retained by the edges of the slit; said casing open end being bounded by reentering edges in a V-shaped manner with the apex of each edge approximately centrally disposed intermediate the top and bottom of the casing; one of said V-shaped edges extending beyond the other whereby said one edge will enter said housing ahead of the other.

7. A pinless clothesline and self-carried container structure comprising a plurality of hinged, elongated wire loops, each of which has a central overlapping twisted zone and spread apart ends; hinge means interengaging said loops whereby the line may be folded to have one loop adjacent the other in substantial parallelism; a hanger wire loop engaging respectively the ends of the end most loops; a rectilinear casing open along one end, and. closed across the other end, and having a height and width to receive said interengaging said loops l folded loops therein, said casing other end hav ing a slit therethrough adjacent a relatively top side; one of said loops being inserted from the inside of the casing through said slit to extend therefrom by a portion externally of the casing, the edges of said slit pressing against the wire of the loop to retain the loop in said extended condition; and a rectilinear casing housing shaped to telescope with a sliding fit over said casing; said housing having an outer closed end and an open end directed toward said casing, and having a slit through an upper portion of its closed end; the hanger loop on the other end of said line passing through the slit of the housing and to extend externally in part therefrom and to be retained by the edges of the slit; casing open end being bounded by reentering edges in a V-shaped manner with the apex of each edge approximately centrally disposed in termediate the top and bottom of the casing; one of said \/-shaped edges extending beyond the other whereby said one edge will enter said housing ahead of the other; the top and bottom of said casing having edges extending diagonally thereacross to connect with the corresponding side V-edges.

8. In a pinless clothesline, a plurality of elongated wire loops, each loop twisted on itself through a central zone, from which zone, at one end thereof, the wires diverge to be joined in a cross bar, and from the other end of which zone, the wires also diverge, each turning over to form an eye and pass along the inner side of the wire and then turn outwardly relatively thereunder and merge into a cross bar which has a length sufiicient to underlap the wires from which the eyes are turned; the first said cross bar being rockably engaged across and through said eyes; whereby each of said loops is hinged to the next adjacent loop to permit folding of the loops in zig-zag manner, one against the other.

MELVIN L. OLLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 815,849 Martin Mar. 20, 1906 822,473 Peters June 5, 1906 1,783,245 Law Dec. 2, 1930 2,407,959 Littlejohn Sept. 17, 1946 2,481,638 Barup Sept. 13, 1949 2,505,890 Fredrick May 2, 1950 

